Do you carry a handgun while bow hunting?

[student]

If so, why and what do you carry?

If not, why not?

Just curious.

[schmoe147]

If you dont have a carry and conceal it is illegal. That being said I have a carry and conceal so yea I'm normallly carrying when hunting any game.

[tracker x-2]

Yup!

Its kinda like second nature to grab my gun before i head out to the woods for any kind of hunting.

Because 1911 is faster than 911!

[psepuncher]

I carry pepper spray...sigh

[Hoyt4]

No ,no reason to carry one.

[bowhunternw]

Unless they changed it I thought it was illegal expect when bowhunting bear. No I never do although it would likely be nice to have some sort of backup.

[DonBo]

Why would you even want too? Never had a deer/turkey/racoon/skunk or any other woodland creature come after me. I can see carrying in the big city, but in the woods? Sorry, I don't get it.

[sticknstring]

Nope - no need for a firearm.

[CC Hurl]

I don't but would like to once I start bringing my little girl out with me. I would not be able to live with myself if she were to be attacked by something that I could not dispatch in a hurry before it got to her. With that said I am only a Bowhunter for Whitetails and that makes it illegal for me to carry anyway. I wish they would change that law.

I have no intrest in conceal and carry so have not looked into it. I am glad the good people are walking around with guns out there too though. I have to think the bad guys are a little nervouse about that and it makes some of them think twice before doing there bad deeds.

[Shu]

Nope, this year I had a bear 15 feet away from me in the first row of corn watching me switch out a camera card. It was a little unnerving at first as I heard it approach through the corn but it was a little guy, just curious about the sounds I was making. Not really concerned about being attacked by anything.

[Scoot]

Why would you even want too?

I don't carry a handgun for any of my current hunting, but I'm starting to consider doing so. Don, the one big answer to your question is easy- criminals, mostly druggies. Meth labs and pot grows are not at all uncommon in MN and ND and bumping into either of them could end very, very ugly. Some of the remote areas in Western ND pop in my head as prime examples, but more locally there could easily be problems. A makeshift meth lab was found in a small piece of woods I used to hunt at when I was a kid near my hometown in MN not too long ago...

If you're carrying to protect yourself against scary 4-legged critters here in MN or ND the odds of ever wanting or needing it are very slim. Of course people will chime in giving examples of themselves or others who needed it, but odds are you'll never need it to save your life from a bear or other critter.

An experience I had in ND a couple years ago made me think about carrying a handgun. We pulled into a farmyard and asked for permission to hunt on the guy's poperty. Long story short, he gave us permission and one of his farmhands offered to give us a ride a few miles away and to hunt our way back to the truck. "Really nice offer", we thought. On the trip he started asking us questions about hunting and then about what kind of weapons we had. He wanted to know if we were carrying a handgun. At some point in the conversation I became convinced (and I still am convinced of it) that he was trying to size us up. It was a very uncomfortable ride- I pointed out my easy access to a knife and cell phone to call for help. I also mentioned that we had told my buddy's relatives that we were pulling into this farm yard and they knew exactly where we were (that was a complete lie). In the end, he dropped us off and let us hunt our way back to the truck with no problem. Later that night we learned that farmyard is a well known drug operation and that going there was a big mistake. They apparently had numerous family members in major trouble with the law for not only crazy gun-related trouble, but also meth and pot use and dealing.

Out West I'd seriously consider carrying a 44 Mag if in grizz country, but the reason I'd consider carrying a gun around here has two legs, not four.

[bottom-bouncer]

Why would you even want too? Never had a deer/turkey/racoon/skunk or any other woodland creature come after me. I can see carrying in the big city, but in the woods? Sorry, I don't get it.

I am with donbo 100% on this why would you want to? So that way you can have even more [PoorWordUsage] to carry? I personally try reducing the amount of [PoorWordUsage] I carry with me, Plus thats just one more thing that can bump the stand and make noise. I guess if your afraid of the dark it mite help you feel better but chances are if whatever big harry monster is coming at you in the dark is going to get you its going to get you before you can see it anyway. so either way you are going to get eatin and become skat.

[sticknstring]

Scary stuff Scoot. An experience like that would definitely make a person think twice about the question being asked.

[bottom-bouncer]

Scoot I never really gave that much thought but do see a valid point that you have made. Its funny that you pointed that out because I have purchased a new handgun for in the fishhouse do to the fact that cooking meth is becoming increasingly popular on the lakes now that co's cant just walk in.

[Musky Buck]

I'm with ya Scoot, you just never know, yes the odds are 1 in a million. You never know who or what you may bump into and I'd like to have at least a punchers chance with a pistol. People called me crazy on here when I posted about going into gangland with a weapon in my work truck, I'm sure Meth,Crack,Heroin users are easy to get along with in the dark. You can just talk it out. When you have 2 friends with titanium plates where there skulls used to be you take that extra precaution, if either had their sidearm on them they wouldn't have been hospitalized for over a year. It isn't just a metro thing anymore. Just be careful everyone. Weird twist just the other day, son playing in our yard, dude walks by, way creepy guy, kept my eye on him, get the local paper that afternoon and his mugshot was in the County's Most Wanted for harming children. You never know, not to live in fear no, just be alert. You bet these creeps are out from time to time on our back roads, we had a mobile meth lab issue in our county for awhile. It's just a lot different nowaday.

[Scoot]

Just so I'm clear, I'm not advocating carrying a gun. I was just trying to point out what I think is a pretty valid reason to carry a gun. I've never carried a handgun when bowhunting. That being said, I'm pretty sure there will be situations where I will: 1) in remote areas where pot grows and meth labs are more likely, and 2) grizz country.

Like I said, the biggest reason to worry has two legs, not four. However, the odds of needing a gun for even the two-legged varmints are pretty slim...

[DonBo]

Scoot, you certainly have a valid point. If I were to ever carry it would be for the reasons you mentioned. Grizz country for certain. It's just that I've never felt threatened in any way while hunting, (from two or four legged creatures) not that it couldn't happen.

[musky hunter]

If it were legal where I hunt I would not carry a handgun. It's just one more thing and another two or three pounds I don't need.

[InTheNorthwoods]

I never have, and I probably never will. But I won't criticize those who choose to. I believe the following saying is appropriate in a lot of situations:

"It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."

[matchset]

i carry. S&W bodyguard. the reason being; i carry everyday anyways so why the heck would i leave it in my truck? So some lowlife can break in and steal it???

[mainbutter]

I don't carry one while hiking and camping in Alaska, though I have carried bear mace on occasion.

If I wouldn't carry a handgun in brown bear country, I wouldn't carry in MN.

[fivebucks]

I would want to carry one in cat country - they scare me. Living in AK and seeing all the bears up there never bothered me one bit. I haven't felt the need in MN but I personally don't think it should be against the law either.

[gurkster]

Nope, no real need for me.

[nbadger23]

In SE MN.. no, I haven't found a need to have one with me. In NW Wisconsin, yes. Too many bears around and I don't trust my ability to be able to defend myself with my bow.

[bigbucks]

I have a permit & do carry occasionally, more as an after thought & mostly just for if I run into a varmint like a coon in a tree, a skunk, or a woodchuck, something like that.